Coin switch



May 25,1948. 5. M 2,442,174

- COIN SWITCH Filed July 19, 1945 Patented May 25, 1 948 PATENT o-FFICEJ 91. S TGE samiMay,chicagoylllggassignor of one-half to a lmemle llltaloneyaflhicago, 111.11.

nathema-l ds 9. I 1... l. @l.No. some: 2 :Cl'aimsr... Cl. 194%97 )1" This invention has as-its principal object the provision of improvements in shock proot switches and more; particularly to switches adapted for coin-operation:

Viewed --fromanotheraspect it -is an; object-of the inventionto provide-a coin-operated switch and means for preventing -fraudulent operation thereof as by jarring, shaking and'pourrdinge Further objects "are-r the provision in 'a coin" erating arm which does notiinterfere with move,-

ment of said armby impact therewith ofiae-coi-m the magnetic .restrainingiorce:being elasticein" a sense different from.that..ofatheeholdingeforce of springsand .thenlike, which'sare themselves subject to inertia reaction. responsive toijarringand. like impacts- Additional objects and aspectsof; novelty. and:

invention .relate -to details;.;ofrconstructiomrandr operation.oithepreferred.embodiment described; hereinafter in; view. .of. theannexed drawing;- in. which:

Fig. 1 is a sideelevationmf..a..coin chute-. and; the novel switch means with the cover plate removed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch means viewed from the opposite side shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View of the switch means shown in Fig. 1 but in operated condition;

Fig. 4 is a view of the switch means looking in the direction of lines 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the switch means looking in the direction of lines 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1 a known type of coin testing chute is indicated schematically at Ill, such chute being commonly used in connection with coinoperated vending machines and the like, and being further adapted to receive coin in an unshown deposit opening along the upper edge thereof, and to discharge said coin, if acceptable, from a lower edge portion thereof into an auxiliary chute member ll attached to chute I U, as by screw means [2 (Fig. 2). The auxiliary or switch chute II is preferably in the form of a I 5 angl [6, this' chute being open-at the bottom edge to' provide acoin-exit H.-

The side w-a-ll portion I6--'-ispitched inwardly mounting .-face'--for switch means, including a pair -ofnormally open springswitch blades 7 l 9"- and secured between the insulating'wafers 21 held tin-assembled -relation-eand attached to the facei a byscrews 22 I I mswitch operating arm-231mm form of a U- shaped wi-re. (see' a'lso Figh -4)" has one=of its free end portions anchored, as by solderingM to the innermost-l:end iportion of switch blade 20, the

other-- end--portion- 25iofa saida-arm being turned lsback beneath a cutaway -porti0n2B- of the-chutecastings! i= so as to tlie inethe path' of a coindescendings.=in--.thezelatterrfromitest chute I0 (Fig. 5 "also-)r:

Switch operating arm 23, being rigidly attached g.-to-switchi-b1ader. 20,':is:.held.in. raised normal poe sitionubythespring :bias of. blade ZiLf-bllt when engagedebya :coin-as. in Fig. -3 said arm and blade yield: until; blade" 20 rissin circuits-closing engagementnwith; thereompanion. blade? I 9, the latter being adjustably :spaceablearelative toblade. 2d by'l-tmeansrof.ansadj11stingascrew; 2 l threaded .into

casting providing a vertical coin passage l4.

deflected-sidewise toward a relieved portion l 5-.A

in marginal wall l5 of the casting and thence downwardly through the exit opening H, whereupon spring blade 20 is restored, with said arm, to the normal position of Fig. 1.

Means for yieldably holding the switch-operating arm 23 in normal position as aforesaid includes a small permanent magnet 30 (Fig. 2) clamped by a bracket 3| secured by screw means 32 to an outer face of casting II with one of its polar ends 3IA disposed in close proximity to a portion 25A of arm 25 of the switch-operating member (Fig. 4 also) so as to attract said arm to the fully raised normal position of Figs. 1 and 2, cooperatively with the bias of spring 20.

Jarring or pounding of the coin chute assem-- bly in fraudulent attempts to cause an operation of switch means l9-20 are defeated by the holding attraction of magnet 30, such attraction, however, being in a sense yieldable so as not to interfere with the displacing action of a coin in striking the operating arm, such magnetic attract-ion moreover decreasing with the square of the increasing distance between operating arm portions 25A and the attracting end 3IA of 'of the coin in proportion as thespring would be tensed.

The switch chute structure is completed by the application of a cover plate 40 (Figs. 4 and 5) secured against the side wall margins l5 and, I6 as by screws 4| (Fig. 4) threaded into chute portion 15. r

The foregoing construction permits of the rise of an inexpensive, light-weight switch of the leaf- 7 spring variety shown, which requires very little operating effort from the coin, and which may be angularly mounted, as shown, for securing optimum angular disposition of the operating means or arm 23 relative to the angle of impact of the coin; and the magnetic holding means is contrived to exert a positive maximum fraud-preventive holding effort on said switch arm with a minimum of interference to displacement of said arm by a coin. V

The foregoing specific construction is subject to modification, and the invention isnot intended to be limited to the precise form shown and described excepting as may be expressly provided in the appended claims. 1 7 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by'Letters Pat ent of the United States is: 1

1. A device of the class described including a chute having a substantially vertical coin passage with an angularly directed side portion thereon, a leaf spring switch mounted on said side portion with at least one leaf spring contact pitched downwardly toward the lower end of said passage, a magnetically attractable switchoperating arm projecting from the said lower end region of said leaf spring contact and at an angle to the latter, upwardly into the path of a coin moving into said lower end of the passage, said chute having a widened portion in a vertical sidewall thereof substantially opposite the portion of said switchoperating arm in the coin path aforesaid, such that said coin moving into the lower end of said passage will engage and move said arm for saidsw'itch and yieldingly and. normally disposed thereby in the path of a coin descend- 4 switch operating arm to actuate said switch and continue downward movement in said passage, said one leaf spring contact being biased to normally maintain said switch-operating arm in the coin path as aforesaid, and magnetic means mounted on said chute and yieldingly holding said switch-operating arm against jarring displacement from said normal position but permitting movement of the arm fromsaid position responsive to engagement of a coin therewith.

2. A fraud-preventive attachment for coin chutes and comprising: a chute member adapted to be mounted relative to a coin-testing chute to receive a coin therefrom, a switch on said chute memben a magnetically attractable operating ing said chute member for transient engageme'ntand displacement by a coin received as aforesaid to actuate said switch, a magnet on said chute member and normally and yieldingly holding said operating arm in said normally disposed condition, said chute member having a widened portion substantially opposite the coin-engaged portion of said operating arm and the latterbeinjg angularly disposed relative to the movement of a coin engaging saidarm to yield in switch-op:- erating action in a direction substantially away from said widened portion and the attracting magnet.

REFERENCES orrEn The following references are of record th file of this patent: r

UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 1 SAM MAY,"

Tull July 9, 1946 Y 

